Life-preserver.



No. 685,I95. Patented Oct. 22,190l. H. ANDRESEN.

LIFE PBESEBVER.

(A pplication filed Oct. 20, 1900., (N 0 M o d e I.)

.m: NORRIS PETERS c6. PNOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, 0. c.

Ninja STATES" ATENT -rrrcs.

HANS ANDRESEN, or FLENSBURG, GERMANY.

LlF'E-PRESERVER.

SPEGIFIGA'AJIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,195, dated October 22, 1901.

Application filed October 20, 1900 Serial No. 33,732- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HANS ANDRESEN, mechanician, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residingin Flensburg, Germany, have invent- 5 ed an Improvement in Life-Saving Apparatus,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life-saving belts or garments; and it has for its object to provide a belt or garment which can be readily secured upon the person and quickly and easily inflated or deflated and which shall be cheap and simple in construction.

With this object in view the invention consists of the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts composing a belt or garment of this class, as will be hereinafter fully described and afterward specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention, the inflatingtubes being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a view, on an enlarged scale, of the inflating air-chamber and connections. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview on the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the tube-closing device or clamp. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 4 is a plan view, on a further enlarged scale, of one end of one of the air cells or cylinders. Fig. 4c isa sectional view thereof on the broken line 4 4 of Fig. at.

Like letters of reference mark the same figures of the drawings.

In Fig. 1 I have represented the complete device with the inflating-tubes shown only in diagram, and reference to this figure will show the belt or garment marked w and provided with arm-holes o. The main body of the belt may be made of any suitable material of a sufficientlength to reach substantially around the body of the user.

The air cells or cylinders (indicated at u) may be sections of ordinary hose or other suitable flexible and air-tight tubing, and they are inserted into suitable pockets formed on the body of the belt, extending longitudinally thereof. These air-cells are slightly less in length than the body of the belt and are closed at their ends n by metal strips b, bent around p inFig. 3.

a similar nipple 7;, to which is attached a flexible tube a, long enough to reach the mouth of the user-of the belt and provided with a suitable mouthpiece at its end, as indicated at Secured upon the opposite end of the belt, beyond the ends ofthe air-cylinders, is a clamp or tube-closing device comprising a metal platej, attached by sewing or otherwise through holes 70, a projecting, lug o, to which is pivoted ona pin 0' a lever d, and a second lug d, projecting from plate j and provided with teeth e on one side. When the belt or garment is upon the body, the tubes g maybe passed under lever 11, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 3, and the lever pressed down upon them and secured by engagement with one of the teeth 0, thus serving the function of a buckle or clasp to hold the belt or garment in position on the body. When it is desired to inflate the air-cells, the lever 11 is releasedfrom engagement with the teeth 6 and the cells inflated by blowing through tube a, air-chamber f, and tubes g'intothe cells, when the lever (1 will again be pressed down upon the tubes 9 and engage with one of the teeth e, now fulfilling the double function of hermetically sealing the cells and of holding the belt or garment upon the body.

It will be observed that all of the cells may be simultaneously inflated,and although only a single clamp-lever is used to close all of the cells the rupture of one or more'of them would not impair the efficiency of the others, and the belts would still remain in a corresponding degree buoyant and useful for its usual purposes. I

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is=- 1. A life-preserver belt comprising a main body, air -cells secured thereon longitudinally and closed at both ends, an air-chamber, a supply pipe leading therefrom, a series of flexible tubes connecting the air chamber 50 said ends and clenched or hammered together.

with the air-cells near one end, and a clamp Near one end of each air cell or cylinder is a ing device secured to the belt at the opposite end of the cells adapted to inclose the inflatl the air-cells near one end, a metal plate secured to the bodyof the plate near the opposite ends of the cells, a lever pivoted thereto and a toothed lug projecting from the plate, the lever being adapted to clamp the inflated tubes and to be secured by engagement with the teeth of the lug, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. HANS ANDRESEN. WVitnesses:

GUSTAV HERMES, GUSTAV BUDAOH. 

